I really liked this take on the Nutcracker ballet, the characters were delightful and it was definitely a christmassy read.

I’ll start by saying I never really knew the story of The Nutcracker properly, the most I had probably seen or known was from Mickeys Once Upon a Christmas! So I was really excited for this book. I bought it a few weeks ago and really felt in a Christmas mood reading it. Also, I bought an amazing Waterstones exclusive copy, and it has the most gorgeous spredges. I also had it approved on Netgalley so thank you to HQ and Netgalley for the advanced e-arc.

5 stars from me. This book was fabulous and so magical. I loved the descriptions of Everwood. The gingerbread houses, the smells and scents people and things gave off, the magic was found everywhere. The story was a great retelling (if I can say that without having read the original), and I loved Marietta. She was fearless, and strong and brave, and I loved how she stood for what she believed in. Now Drosselmeier was awful, but I loved his character! Ms Kuzniar has written him brilliantly, he is so evil, and the scene in the ballroom with the clock was amazing, it had me on edge. But when Marietta was transported to Everwood, wow it was just captivating.

I think everyone would love this book, it’s full of magic, beauty, sorrow and happiness. Give it a read… you know you want to!

I loved this book and it’s magic. Set in my home town of Nottingham,
I was griped from the first page.

Marietta Stelle has big dreams of being a ballerina but expectations are that she will marry.
The arrival of a mysterious toymaker, Dr Drosselmeier, starts a magical journey.

As the clock chimes midnight, Marietta finds herself transported from her family’s ballroom to a frozen sugar palace, silent with secrets, in a forest of snow-topped fir trees. She must find a way to return home before she’s trapped in Everwood’s enchanting grip forever.

The beautiful, magical world just pulls you in. A perfect winter read.

I want to start by saying the descriptions in this are incredible. The world building is exquisite. But that’s really all there is unfortunately. The characters are one dimensional and the actual plot was slow paced and lacking. It felt like it took an age to actually get to Everwood and even then it didn’t pick up in pace. For something that’s only 300ish pages I would usually fly through but it’s been a hard slog and I was avoiding picking it up as it just wasn’t clicking. Unfortunately this just wasn’t for me.

2.5

I didn't know what to expect when I received this book, other than that it would be a perfect wintery read, it was an adult retelling of The Nutcracker and the cover is absolutely stunning. The world of Everwood was magical, vivid and atmospheric, which immersed me in the story and was one of the strengths, as was the whimsical writing. However, at times, the expressive prose was personally too much for me and repetitive when I wanted more depth. I also couldn't connect with any of the characters because I found them a little too surface layer and I wanted more complexity and deeper characterisation to flesh them out. The conclusion was quick and ultimately anti-climatic.

While there were great aspects to this story, overall it wasn't for me. However, I do think that A Midnight in Everwood will appeal to other people who will be swept up in the world of Everwood.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for a copy in exchange for a honest review.

Festive, whimsical and filled with lavish descriptions of delectable confectionery that made me crave sugary goodness like never before, Midnight in Everwood is a delight from start to finish.

This retelling of The Nutcracker has everything it needs to craft a captivating tale of adventure, love, self-discovery and independence. As a disclaimer, I should say: I haven't read the original (yet!), though I intend to remedy that ASAP, but I saw the ballet a few years ago right around Christmas-time and remember walking out absolutely enchanted by it. I was delighted to find the same feeling while reading Midnight in Everwood, which included some of the well-known elements of the tale while including some very original new developments and nuance.

Marietta, the protagonist, was definitely the star and I loved watching her grow through her experiences in Everwood, learning from those she meets there. She is passionate about her dance and willing to fight for what she believes in, and even though at times she appeared somewhat irrational and unnecessarily stubborn, I loved seeing her mature without losing her fire. I particularly appreciated how the romantic element developed and was weaved in delicately, without overpowering the main story and, most importantly, without Marietta changing herself and her dreams for it.

The rest of the cast is beautifully varied and colourful, making it easy to empathise with the more positive ones and fully hate the villains. I was especially fond of the female friendships that developed and how those characters evolved.

The setting deserves a special mention, as thanks to the vivid descriptions it almost takes life, between gorgeous dresses, sumptuous meals and frosty forests. It's also a world where not everything is as it seems, and I loved slowly unpeeling the layers to get to the truth with Marietta. My only issue with this was that at times the descriptions were slightly too rich and detailed, and this sometimes didn't really feel like it fit in with what was happening and slowed the pace. This is entirely personal preference though, and it absolutely didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book overall.

Midnight in Everwood is a gorgeous, masterfully crafted tale giving new life to a Christmas classic, and one that I'll look forward to revisiting in Christmases yet to come. Best enjoyed while sipping hot chocolate underneath a comfy blanket.

Beautifully atmospheric and wonderous, unfortunately I just could not get on board with the writing style for this one. It's incredibly descriptive, to the point of over exaggerating every scene, and as a result my mind just could not follow the story. The plot is also very slow, to the detriment of my enjoyment. By the time the story picks up and we actually reach Everwood I'd lost all interest in Marietta, and I feel like we never really scratch the surface oh who she is as a person beyond her love of ballet.

So much promise, and I love the concept, but this was too stylised and descriptive for somone like me.

I will admit I nearly NDF this one at about 30% but I felt like that was a bit early and I am glad I carried on. The beginning is a bit slow and there are too many descriptions of the food and lavish clothes and home etc. That does slightly carry on throughout the book but once the action kicks in it becomes a bit more balanced although there was still times where I found myself skimming paragraphs about the sugar palace and the food etc to get to the nitty gritty action of the plot.

Once she went through the Grandfather clock though things definitely got a lot more interesting and I will admit I was hooked at this point and read the rest of the book in like 2 days because I wanted to know what was going to happen. However the ending ended up being a little bit flat and unmemorable.

I have given this book 3 stars but I would say it is 3 and half star read

I really loved this story, the take on the Nutcracker, which is a ballet i love to...Loved the characters in the book they way the story was told, just eautiful especially to read before Christmas

The Nutcracker has always been a favourite of mine so I was very excited to read this retelling!

Midnight in Everwood was the perfect read to get me into the Christmas spirit! It started off a little slow and It took me a few chapters to adjust to the writing style, it was a touch too flowery for my taste at times, but I soon got totally swept away in the magic and wonder of the world building and decadent descriptions.

This story really captures the imagination with plenty of ballet, a creepy villain and a touch of romance and found family which I really loved.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a brilliant concept. However it failed to keep my attention. I dnf’d about 100 pages in and I do believe I’ll pick it up again sometime soon. I think a physical copy will be easier to read. So for the moment I’ve rated it 3 stars and will change the rating in the future.

This was a lovely retelling of The Nutcracker. As a dancer, I adored the balletic references and exploration of the ballet within the story and through the main character. I hoped I would love it, but it did fall a little flat in places. I think that was because I adore The Nutcracker and that occasionally made it a little more difficult to separate from this interpretation.

I adored the setting and magic and hated Drosselmeir, which was easily accomplished with how he had been written.

This was a perfect winter read, I really enjoyed it.

I knew this story would be a winter dream, but I was blown away by how atmospheric Everwood was. Every description as tangible as the next, inviting my senses to see, smell and taste the sweets and spices associated with Christmas. From gingerbread to sugar mice, to marzipan, my sweet tooth was in heaven. Even the ballet scenes painted pictures in my mind, despite me having no experience with dance. I spent time searching up the ballet terms as they were dotted throughout, and I was captivated by the art Marietta portrayed.

But of course, Midnight in Everwood does more than make you hungry. As a retelling of the nutcracker, I think M. A Kuzniar captured the characters, motivation and storyline perfectly. Yes, I do wish there was more of a romance between Marietta and the captain, but that was never the main purpose of the story. Marietta is a modern woman in an oppressive time, so she feels lost, but Everwood gives her the strength, friendship and knowledge needed to allow her to follow her dreams and desires. As a strong, female protagonist, Marietta inspires us all to stand up for ourselves, refusing to be knocked down.

I cannot express how much I loved this book, in fact it may be my favourite book of the year. It wasn’t a perfect story, it did have flaws, but everything does. For what this book is, it is just such a purely enjoyable, delectable story that I will always keep in my heart.

At first I really struggled getting into this book, the setting, the narrative and the characters made it extremely difficult for me to get lost in the story. Then about 15% in Marietta got introduced to Everwood then I have to say I was in love. I got lost in the story and I just didn’t want it to end. Also the descriptions of everwood were just mouth watering and I found myself craving all different chocolates and desserts so thanks for that. I will definitely be recommending this book to everyone

M.A. Kuzniar is hugely skilled when it comes to summoning up atmosphere, and anything that involves describing food frankly should be enough to give her a writing career by itself. Do not read this book without a large stack of sugary goods nearby, because you will be SAD. I speak from experience.

Marietta as a character comes across as somewhat reserved and abrupt at first, struggling with the confines of her life while still failing to see her privileges, as we all have done at times. Throughout the story, and her first female friendships with fellow ‘pets’ Dellara and Pirlipata, she comes to see her previous failings but also her strengths; she grows in confidence with their support, and knows what she is capable of, even while those around her might not suspect it, to their own bad luck.

The companionship between the trio of women is one of the most beautiful and powerful demonstrations of the strength of women when combined that I have seen represented and it was just wonderful to get lost in. The fact they were willing to risk everything for one another, and never leave one another behind, regardless of the dangers, was really a whole second story to get lost in.

Running beside this is a story of a girl running away from the powers of men, and the dangers they pose. All we have to do is look at the news to see that things haven’t changed in that respect around the world. However, with this being historical fiction, Marietta is also faced with situations that most of us don’t have to in a modern society. With her father prepared to force her into marriage and to give up her beloved ballet, Marietta is terrified and powerless. What she gains from her time under capture, and her time as part of this threesome, is the strength to stand tall and say, “no”. Carving her own path is the harder path, but they teach her that it can be done, no matter how scared she is.

The way Kuzniar describes ballet is sheer magic. You feel yourself lost in it, dancing along with Marietta. As a former dancer, I was transported back to happy memories of my soul flying as I danced also, and I felt that raw, brilliant power of love that Marietta held for her art. The fact that she has the support and admiration of the people around her who are supporting her despite her confinment allows the dance to continue to be beautiful despite the danger, and take on a whirlwind of strength all of its own as Marietta learns to use it to work for her as well as working at it.

Marietta loves ballet but her life as a ballet dancer is shattered when she is obligated to do her duties and take her place in society. When a man buys a nearby townhouse, he’s determined to buy her and her family’s love. But there’s a lot more to him than money and he sets up the biggest surprise of all for Marietta. On the last day of her performance something truly magical happens.

She finds herself transported to a strange and mystical land filled with snow and ice and an array of monsters. Every where she turns danger awaits until she is found by one of the King’s guard who takes her back to the palace, an enchanting place that seems to good to be true until she finds out it is...

Marietta who is constantly trapped by society into doing what she is told to do seems like a strong woman who has huge dreams and I loved her character for it. The book focuses a bit on her relationships with the friends that she makes whilst also building up some character development.

The book flows beautifully. It’s quite steady paced until the ending when it really picks up so if you’re more of a fan of action packed books then you may not like this one.

I loved reading the little details about Nottingham as someone who currently lives in the area, she does a brilliant job of describing it as it would be during that time. The author has also done a fabulous job of creating the Winter Wonderland that is Everwood. The setting alone will have you sucked in as it’s truly magical.

Although it has essences of The Nutcracker and is a retelling of it, the author has made it her own whilst staying true to the original story.

A poetic and beautiful read that will have you enchanted from page one. #MidnightinEverwood by #MAKuzniar is a perfect read for those winter months.

I was looking forward to this book with its fusion of the Nutcracker with fantasy.
Marietta is a talented ballet dancer who struggles against the constraints of her gender and class. Enter stage left the seemingly eligible , charismatic but sinister Drosselmeier.

Transported from Nottingham to the realm of the evil King Gelum , Marietta is at first enchanted by the palace of spun sugar with its sumptuous feasts and balls, but this soon changes. Yet again she must fight constraints, but of a different kind. Together with her fellow prisoners fairy Dellara and strong Pirlipata (from other realms within this world) and Captain Legat she fights the evil tyrant, Gelum

The descriptions of the clothes, feasts and balls are all sumptuous and its a world vividly depicted. However for me sometimes it was a bit too rich- like eating too much candyfloss. The author has some interesting uses of language. I wasn't convinced b y Nottingham as a setting , although I am not against books set outside London buy any means.
The strongest aspect of the book was the friendship that develops between the 3 female characters. (I found the romance aspect somewhat sugary again)

An enchanting book in many ways but I still prefer my Katherine Arden.

This story is such a darkly magical delight. I loved being swept away on a wintery adventure and following Marietta’s journey. Each sentence is lyrical and so carefully crafted, I found myself pausing to reread certain sections.

A fabulous adult fairytale!

All Marietta Stelle wants is to be a ballet dancer, but that seems impossible. She is from a wealthy family, and has many privileges, but she is not allowed to follow her wishes in anything, not even marriage. Marietta must take matters into her own hands if she wants to take charge of her own fate.

The story is set in Victorian England, which adds to the atmosphere and depth of the novel. Dr. Drosselmeier is presented as an innovative and mysterious toymaker who seems interested in Marietta. Marietta is quick-witted, and can sense he is not what he seems. Dr. Drosselmeier catches Marietta in a trap, which leads her into another world. The kingdom of Everwood is enchanting at first glance, but underneath the magic and ice and sweets is a hidden layer of cruelty. The worldbuilding is incredible, I could see the outfits and buildings in my mind as I read.

I was highly anticipating this book, and I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed Marietta as a heroine, because while she has her faults, she thinks for herself, and doesn't want to wait for things to happen to her. She begins the novel naive and focused only on her goal, to be a dancer, that she ignores many red flags. However, when she encounters an obstacle, she learns to grow and adapt. I loved the bond between her, Dellara, and Pirlipata. We were able to see Marietta's growth through how she worked on her relationships with others, and I was so happy that they all had happy endings. The relationship between Marietta and Captain Legat was very sweet, and while they aren't able to be together now, I have hope for the future! I would love to learn more about the world of Celesta, if there is another novel coming I vote for one about Crackatuck next, I loved Pirlipata!

creative and lyrical, i just wish there was more romance? which is a personal gripe i suppose, spotify did just recently diagnose me as a hopeless romantic.